All About The Wii System
At the most basic level Wii system (pronounced "we") is just Nintendo's gaming system. But that simple description does not do justice to what is one of the most innovative entertainment inventions of the past several years. This is a gaming system from Japan. What does Wii stand for? Well, the two small i's after the large W represents two people standing next to each other, coming together to play. It isn't just that each part of the wii system is superb, though it is. It is that the Wii rises above that level and becomes more than the sum of its parts. It creates an outstanding gaming Experience, with a definite capital 'E'. The console itself is small, lightweight, and durable. That might not seem so important for a game box that is intended to sit in the corner and be forgotten. But given how gamers actually use their systems, it is a big help. It means the Wii system is portable and it will stand up to the inevitable abuse that comes from moving it around. Sometimes unintentionally, when someone playing Wii Sports gets a little carried away. One of the many innovative features gets all the good press it deserves: the Wii Remote or, Wiimote as it's known to many. It is completely unlike a classic gaming control, the type with a joystick and loaded with buttons. Instead, the Wii system offers a hand-held 'TV/DVD Remote Control'-style device. Here, however, no remote control device ever offered this kind of functionality. Incorporating highly sophisticated motion control sensors, the players become part of the game itself, handling a tennis racket, swinging a sword, and more. It is so close to virtual reality without a helmet as any gaming system has come to. For those who still want that traditional-style control, Nintendo sells a Classic Controller that, even in this more usual form, offers incredible control over many games and the gaming experience. Gamers will not find themselves wishing for much that isn't already onboard. The Wii hardware system is sharp and innovative. But Nintendo did not create great gear and then sit back in the chair to admire it. They put together a team of some of the best designers in the business to provide thousands of games for every conceivable interest. Nintendo wasn't just being generous. Their stated goal is to reach beyond the standard group of gaming geeks to get everyone interested. They succeeded with puzzle games, strategy games, adventures, and more. They have even marketed something called Wii Fit, which allows someone to use the system to lose weight and get in shape. That's not the usual goal of the stereotype gamer who is seen (inaccurately) as a couch potato. Providing local and Internet multi-player hardware and software features, the Wii system is not just for those who want to shut out the real world and live in a fantasy one, either. Equally oriented toward families, social networking friends, and more, the Wii offers something for everyone. The Graphics The GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) inside the Wii console has only modest-appearing specs. At 243MHz, no computer graphics geek is going to be impressed by the ATI controller in the Wii. But behind that modest number there is still a powerful engine that, even more importantly, Nintendo has used in some highly creative ways. The results, while not as spectacular as the Xbox 360 perhaps, are still visually very good. Most objective observers put the quality of Wii graphics at slightly better than the level of the original Xbox, and that seems fair. Since the Wii system is limited to 480p output, and therefore does not offer HDTV level clarity, it is only fair to admit that the Wii will never produce stunning sharpness and realism of the highest caliber. Nevertheless, Wii and ATI (the company that built the GPU used in the console) have teamed to get the absolute most out of a very good chip. Many of the functions that Xbox and PS3 perform in software to the polygons that make up images - anti-aliasing, mapping, and others - is performed inside the Wii GPU itself. As a general rule, anything done in hardware is typically faster than the same function done in software. But, of course, the bottom line is what do you actually see. There, few who have tried all three systems have any big complaints. Colors are not quite as realistic on the Wii as on those two competitors' systems, but they are quite good. In fact, many enjoy the more comic book style shades that are part of some games. Jaggies are slightly more visible on the Wii, which provides high quality DVD-level output. The depth of shadows is not as rich as those other systems, but it is still believable. The lighting is not as realistic as the highest-end computer graphics, but many games on even the Xbox and PS3 do not offer that anyway. Effects like fog do not quite measure up, but how many games have that? None of this is to argue that there is no difference at all. The Wii's GPU and associated software do not offer the super-crisp images that the others can. But at a cost 40-50% less than the others, it's a very small compromise. What the Wii System does offer is very good graphics that were considered state-of-the-art only a few years ago. Those fine graphics have satisifed millions of gamers then and now. To get the most possible out of the system, be sure not to use the red/white/yellow composite cables provided. That will give good results, but not the best since it limits the system to standard TV output, which is below that of a DVD. Instead, use an S-video cable and get the most that the system can deliver. What counts, in the end, is the overall gaming experience. There, the Wii System - including its graphics - has nothing to apologize for. That is not only because of the innovative and advanced controller, the Wiimote (which does help a lot), but because the Wii plays GameCube games and more, all the way back to Nintendo 64 and earlier. It offers a huge array of superbly designed games for every conceivable interest. In the final analysis, the Wii plays on a level field with its competitors and often outshines them. If you have never checked out a gaming system before, or if you thought you knew what they were all about, prepare to be pleasantly surprised when you embrace the wonderful world of Wii! Learn About The Wii Features
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